Thanks but it's hard to say
by Lisa12
Summary: Post-Empedocles, DRF... yay the writer's block is over! :D


Title: Thanks but it's hard to say  
  
Author: Lisa  
  
Email: lc7685@y...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them, any of them *sigh*  
  
Category: Post-Empedocles DRF  
  
Rating: PG just because no XF-anything should ever be  
  
rated G :P hehe  
  
AN: OMG I wrote a fic! Granted it's all of 3 pages but  
  
close enough! Hehe Hope you enjoy it's just something  
  
short but it's sparked something else that I just have  
  
to continue with, so who knows where this may  
  
lead...Lisa.  
  
***  
  
John was staring at Katha through the hospital door,  
  
strapped and seemingly out of it. He couldn't get  
  
close, no matter how much he wanted to. He couldn't  
  
get near her.  
  
"John."  
  
John turned his head at Monica's voice. A soft but  
  
urgent tone he'd almost forgotten before he'd called  
  
her to Washington not so long ago.  
  
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked, glancing at her  
  
as she approached. Despite the headache he knew she  
  
should have, she somehow managed a smile.  
  
"I'm on my way home, but I wanted to see..." Her eyes  
  
drifted with his to the woman restrained on the bed in  
  
front of them. After a moment of silence, she added,  
  
"She was holding him, after they pronounced him dead."  
"You think it's in her?" John asked, remembering back  
  
to what Mulder had said. Most people could stifle that  
  
urge to kill. Katha had wanted to kill Monica, the  
  
difference being that she had tried. He glanced back  
  
at Monica, who was watching him silently. She didn't  
  
need to answer.  
  
After a moment, Monica's brow furrowed as though time  
  
had passed too slowly, and she glanced back at Katha.  
  
"Thankyou John."  
  
"You don't have to-" Monetarily she looked at him,  
  
taking a deep breath.  
  
"I want to. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't come in  
  
when you did."  
  
"Well I'm glad I did. And I was only returning the  
  
favour." They locked eyes for only a moment before  
  
Monica glanced away, focussing back on Katha and  
  
changing the topic, not for the first time afraid of  
  
what she saw in his eyes.  
  
"I wish there was more we could do for her daughter."  
  
"You really think you...these visions...were meant to  
  
save her?" Slowly, Monica shook her head.  
  
"I hope they were meant to save someone. If not, I  
  
can't see the point."  
  
"Mon."  
  
"Yes John?"  
  
"They got you on any medication?" Monica almost  
  
laughed.  
  
"I'm not that spaced out, am I?" John covered quickly,  
  
not seeing the glint of humour in her eye.  
  
"No, no, course not I was just... Do you need a lift  
  
home?" Monica's smile softened at his oversight.  
  
"Home?" she asked.  
  
"You know, to-" John seemed to realise what he was  
  
saying and glanced over at her as she bit her bottom  
  
lip. "New Orleans." He had to finish. What else was he  
  
going to say?  
  
"That's very kind of you to offer John, but a ride to  
  
my motel would be fine." John nodded.  
  
"Sure." His eyes guided her to turn around and they  
  
walked towards the exit.  
  
*  
  
"John," Monica acknowledged as he led her to the door  
  
of her motel room.  
  
"Monica." He hesitated. "You gonna be right tomorrow  
  
for a ride?"  
  
"A ride?" she asked, her eyes widening.  
  
"You know, to the airport. Home," he managed a small  
  
smile.  
  
"Oh, yeah. I forgot. Yeah, I'll get a cab."  
  
"You haven't lost your memory right?"  
  
"No I'm good. Just...being here but being so involved  
  
still in work, it kind of feels..." She drifted off  
  
and John waited expectantly for her to finish.  
  
"Feels..." he had to urge. He saw her frown in  
  
thought, not for the first time that night and fought  
  
off the desire to smile at her. There were too many  
  
other thoughts running through his head. Katha, evil,  
  
Jeb, evil, Katha, evil, Luke, Jeb, Harvey, Luke, evil-  
  
"Mon," he began after a while.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"With...your theory."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"It would mean he's dead, wouldn't it? Luke's killer.  
  
Cos it passed on... They all die, don't they?"  
  
"Maybe he is. Maybe he somehow passed it on..." She  
  
shook her head, as if to clear it. "I'm sorry John, I  
  
can't think straight."  
  
"No, course not um, if you need anything, just call  
  
okay? I mean it. If your head..."  
  
"I will." John was about to bid her farewell when she  
  
unexpectedly reached up and rested the backs of her  
  
fingers against his cheek. "It's good being here John.  
  
What I meant to say before was that...it kind of feels  
  
good." John nodded as she withdrew her hand.  
  
"Goodnight Monica. Have a safe trip back." Monica  
  
nodded.  
  
"See you," she replied, but he didn't move away. "What  
  
is it John?"  
  
"You're gonna think I'm crazy-"  
  
"I won't," she replied earnestly. Of course she  
  
wouldn't.  
  
"If something bad happens here. With Mulder and  
  
Scully-"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I dunno. If something does, you're not gonna be tied  
  
up in New Orleans are you?"  
  
"Tied up?"  
  
"Well...I got a, it's just that, if I needed to call  
  
you in-"  
  
"Are you asking me to be your backup partner?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'll be there, just call." He nodded, satisfied, and  
  
went to turn. "But John."  
  
"Yeah?" Monica frowned.  
  
"I really hope you don't have to."  
  
"So do I, but I'll call anyways." Monica smiled again.  
  
"Yeah, I'd like that. Goodnight."  
  
"Night."  
  
This time, he did leave.  
  
*** 


End file.
